


Gifts and Questions

by alafaye



Category: X-Men (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 07:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2843015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles didn't want to exclude Erik, but this might be more than Erik was ready for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gifts and Questions

**Author's Note:**

> This is a modern!AU. Written for the 2014 advent challenge; masterlist and prompts can be found [here](http://alafaye.livejournal.com/392757.html). This is day 24, gifts.

There was a Menorah in the living room. It looked ridiculous next to the tree and out of place. The tree had baubles on it that Erik was sure cost more than anything he'd had as a child and would likely ever buy. It was wrapped in ribbons and lit with electric lights. Under it, on the floor, were wrapped presents; one for each of them, Erik suspected. The Menorah had only the candles, sitting atop a white cloth. 

Erik hadn't celebrated since he was a boy in Germany. It had been too painful at first and then he had been too busy and now...why bother?

"I can take it down," Charles told him as he stepped into the room.

Erik took a deep breath. "It's a nice thought."

"I try," Charles said with a tight smile. "Honestly, I don't know...I just..."

"I know," Erik interrupted calmly. "Thank you."

Charles crossed the room and wrapped his fingers around one of the candles. "I wasn't reading your mind. You're projecting."

Erik had been feeling irritated--surely Charles had been reading his thoughts, confusion and worry and then anger--but perhaps he had been projecting. It was a difficult subject and one that Erik was loath to approach. To know that Charles would have heard those thoughts...

"I'm sorry," Charles said. He swallowed hard and began removing the candles.

Erik was torn and it hurt. "Stop," he said quietly. "Charles, please stop."

Charles froze. "You're bending it."

Erik looked over and swallowed hard. It _was_ bending, just a little. He took halting steps until he was next to Charles. He slowly put his hand on the Menorah. Charles took a single step away, allowing Erik privacy--or so Erik hoped--but he put his hand on Charles' back, stopping him. 

"I haven't...I didn't want to, after what happened," Erik began. "And then it was too much of a bother. Too much effort to start again. And my faith...it's changed."

"I didn't want to cause you pain, old friend," Charles whispered.

Erik took a deep breath and fixed the bent metal. "How can a God who gives us such gifts as we have also let us live a world where we are shamed, hunted, for those gifts? Answer me that, Charles."

Charles was silent for a long moment. Erik righted the candles. 

"My family was never religious," Charles finally answered. "We didn't go to church or mass or whatever it's called. I asked my mom once about God and she gave me a dismissive answer. I don't have the connection you do, with faith and belief and tradition. The framework that people use for their faith. I do, however, think that God, whomever he is, gave us these gifts for a reason. And that he will tell us in time."

Erik swallows hard. "Are you telling me what you think I need to hear?"

"No," Charles replies. "It is difficult to believe that any deity who is responsible for the creation of man would give us these gifts in this world. But I have thought about it and I can only reason that he has to have a plan."

"If he exists," Erik teased.

Charles scoffed. "You asked. I answered."

Erik looked at the Menorah again. "Tomorrow is when the first candle is supposed to be lit."

"Would you like me to be here?" Charles asked quietly.

"Please," Erik finally replied.

Charles leaned into him. "Sundown. I'll let the kids know to be quiet."

"Thank you, Charles."

There's an answering hum in his mind and Erik smiled. He thought of his mother, his father. Their synagog in Germany. The community there, the one that Erik left behind. And he looked at the Menorah here, in the home he was making with Charles, in the school they were building from the ground up. New beginnings. He wanted to do this again. With Charles. With the students, if they wanted.

Charles sighed and it was a peaceful sound that Erik knew meant that one of them was either projecting or reading the others mind, but that was okay. Erik wanted to share this with Charles.

And he wanted to begin again. This was the perfect place to do it, too.

Tomorrow.


End file.
